


When the Camera's Off

by GabzJones



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gamer Katsuki Yuuri, Ice Skating, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Skater Victor Nikiforov, Yuuri livestreams and his chat just wants him to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-15 22:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17537291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabzJones/pseuds/GabzJones
Summary: Katsuki Yuuri is one of the most successful gaming streamers on the internet with thousands of viewers for every broadcast. It's as he's taking a trip back home that he finds himself on an ice rink, being saved from potential humiliation by a dashing man his chat tells him is none other than Victor Nikiforov, figure skating legend. Yuuri's immediately enamoured, and his chat are desperate to set the pair up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Been meaning to write this for a while, but it got way longer than I planned, so this oneshot is now a two-shot. Enjoy! I'll hopefully have the second part up tomorrow. 
> 
> ALSO! I asked some friends if I could use their screen names for this story, so if there are names you recognise, they volunteered for me to use them. :)

“I’m not gonna drop you guys,” Yuuri laughed as he watched the messages rushing across his phone screen, “You just have to hold on.”

He watched as the screen began to fill with different emotes as people tried to come up with creative ways to do just that, yelling at each other to grab their hands and to find a buddy. It was still hard to believe he was actually doing this. Every time he visited Japan, he took a camera and made sure to bring his chat with him. The life of a streamer really wasn’t very private, but he hadn’t minded. He shared his days gaming with them, he shared his time back home with them. They always seemed so excited to see Japan, and Yuuri always had fun showing them around, even if it did end up making him feel more like a tourist than someone returning home. But, when he’d started his streaming day, he hadn’t planned to end up at an ice rink. Every time he’d asked, they’d told him he wasn’t allowed on the ice with his camera, that it was a safety risk, or that he might damage it and blame them. Even with it strapped to his shoulder, they always said no.

Until now.

This was the first time a rink had given him the okay to go out on the ice, just as long as the camera stayed on his shoulder. He stood at the edge of the rink with his phone in hand, watching the people sending him messages as they watched his stream, waiting for his chance to go out on the ice. There weren’t many people there, thankfully. Yuuri hadn’t gone skating in years, and he knew that a crowded rink would make it even more likely for him to fall over. That was the last thing he needed on the internet for the whole world to see. There were people in his chat who seemed worried, some who were already laughing as they waited expectantly for Yuuri to land on the floor the moment he stepped on the ice. As he waited, Yuuri began to feel nervous. He didn’t know if he would actually be able to stay on his feet.

The rink attendant gestured for Yuuri to step onto the ice as a couple stepped off. It was his turn to join the fun. Looking down at his phone one more time, he let out a shaky breath, “Alright, I’m not gonna be able to see what you guys are saying while I’m out there, so don’t get upset if I ignore you.”

Slipping his phone into his pocket, Yuuri held onto the barrier as he stepped onto the ice. Almost immediately, he felt his balance shift, trying to get his legs in a good enough stance to stay upright. He just had to stay on his feet. He didn’t need to do any tricks, just stay upright for the next twenty minutes, and he could call this whole thing a success. Of course, it was a little difficult to concentrate on staying upright and entertaining his audience at the same time. Yuuri couldn’t just go silent. He had to talk to them, even if he couldn’t see what they were saying.

Circling the rink, Yuuri spoke about their plans for tomorrow, spoke about some of the people on the rink, and when he was feeling more daring, he made jokes, pretending to race someone on the ice. That was the biggest mistake.

When he picked up his pace, Yuuri stumbled, losing his footing and ending up in a heap on the ice. The one thing he’d been afraid of and sure enough, it had happened. The camera was angled on his shoulder so that all the viewers could see were Yuuri’s legs out in front of him, the occasional person skating by.

After a moment, Yuuri heard the loud sound of a notification coming from his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket just in time to read the message paired with a small donation from a viewer, ‘ _For your medical bill_ ’.

Yuuri laughed, stuffing his phone back into his pocket as he spoke, “Thank you, lucycamui, for the five dollars.”

He’d be the first to admit his life was strange. He was sitting in the middle of an ice rink, people skating around him, talking to himself. Though technically, he wasn’t talking to himself at all. There were thousands of people watching him, talking to him, experiencing home with him. But that didn’t make it any less strange for the people around him, Yuuri was sure. But Yuuri had gotten used to it, almost expecting people to be watching him in every day tasks at this point. He let out a sigh as he stared at his feet, “I’ll be honest, guys. I’m not sure how I’m gonna get up.”

He just had to get back on his feet and everything would be fine. Yuuri could picture it in his mind, though. He’d get one blade back on the ice, attempt to pull himself up and end up in a heap all over again. What he needed was the barrier. He could use it to hold himself up, but it was a fair distance away, and Yuuri wasn’t sure his wounded pride could take a few thousand people watching him crawl along the ice like a toddler. He was working up the courage to do just that when he heard a pair of skates stop in front of him, looking up to see a hand outstretched in his direction.

Yuuri blinked in surprise, gaze drifting up to the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. The man stood in front of him was tall, perfectly chiselled jawline with pale skin and silver bangs falling into those pretty eyes. Definitely not from Japan, but Yuuri was mesmerised. The corner of his mouth curled into a sweet smile, tilting his head to the side as he looked Yuuri over, “You seemed like you could use a hand.”

Yuuri’s fingers brushed against the palm of the strangers. Soft. His skin was soft. Of course it was, everything about him seemed soft and perfect, and Yuuri was trying to remember how to speak. Fingers curled gently around his hand and a moment later, Yuuri was being pulled to his feet, stumbling forward as he still hadn’t quite been prepared to balance himself on the blades. Yuuri’s hands were resting against a firm chest, his weight supported on the taller man. He felt those gentle hands holding him by the elbows, hesitantly looking up to see those azure eyes looking back at him, amusement in his smile.

“Thanks.” Yuuri chuckled nervously, “Thought I’d be stuck down there forever.”

“What a shame that would be.” The stranger’s hands lingered on Yuuri’s elbows, making no attempt to move away and Yuuri could’ve sworn he heard flirtation in his voice. No, there was no way. It had to be wishful thinking. Someone as attractive as that didn’t flirt with someone like Yuuri. Besides, he didn’t need his viewers seeing him flirting with anyone.

“Huh?” Yuuri responded dumbly, staring into those bright blue eyes, oh god those eyes…

“You wouldn’t be able to record much from there.” He gestured to the camera on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Oh um, no. I’m not recording, I’m streaming.” Yuuri chuckled nervously as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, “Guys, say hi to um…?”

“Victor.” The stranger supplied, smiling and waving at the camera.

Sure enough, Yuuri’s screen filled with greetings from his audience. He chuckled to himself as he watched his moderators try to control the excitable group. A message passed by the screen,

_OH MY GOD THAT’S VICTOR NIKIFOROV!_

Yuuri had never heard the name before, but since it had come from ‘nikiforoov,’ he was willing to believe it. Had he accidentally run into someone famous? It seemed Victor had noticed the message, too, quickly excusing himself. Just as quickly as the handsome stranger had walked into his life, he was skating away. Yuuri should’ve said something. He should’ve laughed off the exchange and continued on with his stream, but instead, he watched. He watched as Victor skated around the rink that was slowly emptying as the night went on. He watched as Victor jumped like it was the most effortless thing in the world, a smile gracing those pretty lips.

Yuuri was jolted from his thoughts as the phone in his hand went off, another small donation from a viewer complete with a message, “ _Go flirt with him._ ”

That was all that was needed to spark a frenzy in his chat, viewers posting emotes of people blushing, talking about how attractive Victor was, and how he was so clearly into Yuuri. Yuuri couldn’t quite believe that one. He was sure a group of people watching something on the internet couldn’t know the truth. They weren’t there. They couldn’t properly read the room. They were just believing what they wanted to believe, but deep down, Yuuri wanted it to be true. He wanted this dashing man to have been flirting with him. He wanted Victor, whoever he was, to give him more than a moment of his time, because honestly, who wouldn’t want to be in his presence for as long as possible?

Yuuri sighed, carefully skating over to the barrier and leaning against it as he read the chat rushing across his phone screen, “Thank you for the donation, nikiforoov.” He was sure he was butchering that pronunciation. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as Victor did a perfect spin, so graceful, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Yuuri chewed his lip as he looked back at his phone, “nikiforoov, who is Victor?”

He wanted to know. He wanted to know what he had gotten himself into, who he had met and whether it was completely ridiculous for him to be even considering going along with his chat and striking up another conversation. It would have to be privately, though Yuuri wasn’t sure how to do that. He couldn’t let Victor leave the rink before his stream ended, but he still had at least another hour of scheduled air time.

After a moment, another message from nikiforoov appeared, a much longer, excited message, “ _Only the greatest figure skater of all time! He’s won the last five grand prix finals, and he’s an Olympic gold medallist. He’s meant to be in Japan for this season’s grand prix, but I had no idea he was gonna be in the same city as you! And he was flirting! You’re so lucky!_ ”

Yuuri was glad the camera wasn’t pointed at his face, his blush hidden from his audience, “He wasn’t flirting with me, he was just being polite.”

It did make sense that he was a successful figure skater. Victor moved along the ice like he was born for it. Being an athlete seemed right with that body, too. If the firmness of his chest was any indication, Victor was hiding quite the body under that shirt. That was just unfair. Yuuri was lost in thoughts of that body, of what it looked like. There were probably pictures online. Athletes did a lot of topless photoshoots for interviews, didn’t they? Yuuri was going to have to look Victor up later. He had to focus on entertaining his chat. His chat that was now calling him an oblivious fool, demanding that he go get Victor’s number, that he find out if Victor really was flirting with him.

Yuuri hadn’t dated properly since his streaming career really began. He didn’t want that part of his life getting coverage, and that ended up with him not even trying. Maybe his viewers just wanted to see him happy, but Yuuri couldn’t figure out why they thought this guy of all people would be interested. Yuuri carefully pushed his phone back into his pocket as he spoke, “He wasn’t flirting, stop playing matchmaker, chat.”

Yuuri decided it was best to just forget about it, to continue his careful skating around the rink, being silly and trying to entertain his audience without thinking about the cute skater he was sharing the ice with. It was hard to not think about him, though. Yuuri was lucky that he could glance over without the camera moving and giving himself away. Eventually, he did forget, though. Eventually, Yuuri was more focused on staying upright, on moving along the ice at a decent pace, and on entertaining people, that he didn’t have time to think about what could be.

It was as a kid stumbled in front of him that things went a little wrong once more. Yuuri did his best to stay upright as he quickly changed directions, but was just as quickly losing his balance. He was going to fall all over again. Yeah, maybe skating hadn’t been the best idea. Before he could feel himself collide with the ground, he instead felt his hands hit a familiar chest, warm arms wrapped around his waist. Yuuri blinked a few times in surprise, looking up to see those pretty blue eyes. Oh.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Victor teased, silver bangs falling in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side.

No one in the world could possibly be that pretty. It wasn’t fair. Yuuri’s fingers gently gripped Victor’s shirt, biting his lip as he looked away, trying and failing to hide his blush, “Sorry, I guess I’m not as good at this as I thought I was.”

“I’m sure you could be.” Victor reassured, his thumb brushing delicate circles into Yuuri’s side.

Before he could stop himself, Yuuri’s fingers were tightening in Victor’s shirt. He desperately wanted to press himself closer, to rest his head against that warm chest and just let Victor hold him. Victor looked like he gave great hugs. He’d probably be a great cuddler, all gentle and loving as they fell asleep under the sheets together. Yuuri needed to stop thinking, to stop imagining these wonderful scenarios that his chat wanted, that he wanted, but that were so far out of reach.

Victor carefully plucked the camera from Yuuri’s shoulder, “How about we give your audience something really fun to watch, huh?”

Yuuri would’ve snatched his camera back, would’ve told Victor that it wasn’t necessary, only Victor was pretty. Really pretty. He could do what he wanted, as far as Yuuri was concerned. Besides, he was curious now. What was Victor thinking? He was an amazing skater, so watching Victor would be far more entertaining. Yuuri reached for the barrier as Victor pulled away, watching him gesture for one of the rink attendants. He spoke Japanese so fluently, and Yuuri knew most of his audience would have no idea what Victor was saying as he asked them to hold onto the camera and make sure it stayed on them. She seemed so enthusiastic, promising to keep the camera trained on them. Victor really had to be famous to be getting such a reaction.

As Victor returned to his side, he held out a hand to Yuuri. A gentleman. He was pretty, talented, and a gentleman. But Yuuri knew this meant Victor wanted him to keep skating, and making a fool of himself in front of a talented skater was one thing. His audience being able to see him fail was a whole lot worse. “I won’t let you fall.”

Yuuri could hear the sincerity in Victor’s voice, his heart racing. Yuuri wasn’t going to be able to resist. He wanted to be close to Victor, even if this was just one crazy night. He could say he skated with a gold medallist. He could enjoy being close to someone so effortlessly beautiful for one night, could just give in to temptation and let himself have a little fun. That’s what coming home was meant to be. He was visiting family, sure, but he was also there to have fun.

Resting his hand on Victor’s, Yuuri was reminded how soft they were. Victor didn’t waste a second, his smile bright and beaming as he tugged Yuuri’s hand and pulled him out into the middle of the ice. There were less and less people around them, giving them more space to move around, more room for Yuuri to make mistakes. With the camera so far away, Yuuri wouldn’t be able to talk to his viewers. They could send him messages and he could check his phone, but they wouldn’t be able to hear his voice. The only entertainment he could provide was visual.

Victor’s smile was dashing as he pulled Yuuri close, a hand resting on his hip as the other kept hold of Yuuri’s. He let his leg drift between Yuuri’s, the movement causing Yuuri to slide back ever so slightly on his own blades. A dance. A dance on the ice. That’s what Victor seemed to be going for, though Yuuri could barely stay upright for more than a few minutes, so he wasn’t sure a dance would work out.

Victor’s hand moved from Yuuri’s hip to rest at the small of his back, pressing their bodies closer as he slowly moved them around the rink, “You never told me your name.”

Hadn’t he? Yuuri had been so lost in the moment, he hadn’t actually thought about that. Had he been that rude? Victor so close was a little intoxicating. His hands were warm, his touch gentle. Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared back at Victor, admiring his features as he spoke, “Sorry, I… I guess I was distracted. I’m Yuuri.”

“Yuuri.” His name rolled off Victor’s tongue, his accent making it sound so different, but so right. Yuuri wanted to hear it again and again, “That’s a nice name.”

Victor made a quick turn, taking Yuuri off guard. Yuuri stumbled into Victor, his grip on his hand tightening as his free hand clutched his shoulder, “Are you trying to make me fall!?”

Victor laughed. A soft, sweet sound that shouldn’t have been nearly as charming as Yuuri thought it was, “You’re adorable.”

Yuuri nearly choked, moving to pull away only for Victor to drag him back. He wasn’t sure what to say. Was there something to say when an unfairly attractive man was holding your hand and calling you cute? Yuuri couldn’t deny the flirtation anymore. It was obvious. Victor Nikiforov, whoever this famous athlete was, was flirting with him. His chat was right. But what was he supposed to do about it? He could try flirting back, but Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure how to do that. It had been so long since he’d even wanted to flirt with someone.

“I won’t be so adorable when I make us fall.”

“Oh, yes you will.” Victor chuckled, “But you won’t fall. I won’t let you.”

Victor might have assured him of that much, but Yuuri was already falling. He was falling hard and fast for a sweet figure skater who seemed to be just as charming as he was handsome. Yuuri didn’t stand a chance against this kind of effortless perfection. Victor moved away, their linked hands the only thing keeping them together. Yuuri simply stood in place, afraid to move, afraid to ruin a wonderful moment. Because Yuuri knew he was going to fall again. It was inevitable. And no matter how obvious it was that he was going to land on the ice again, he didn’t want to ruin this. He wanted this moment to be just right.

Victor tugged on Yuuri’s hand to bring him close once more, but Yuuri wasn’t ready. He was quickly learning he was never going to be ready for anything Victor threw his way. Yuuri stumbled, free hand reaching out and clutching at Victor’s shirt as he tried to stay on his feet. His knees shook slightly as he tried to push himself back up into a proper standing position, eyes the size of dinner plates as he looked up at Victor. The smirk was obvious as Victor looped an arm around Yuuri’s waist, using the hold to press their bodies flush against each other. He’d say it was to help keep Yuuri upright. He’d say it was a safety precaution. Yuuri didn’t care what the excuse was, his heart racing in his chest as he watched Victor, happy for any excuse to be this close.

“I have a confession to make.” Victor spoke softly, warm breath tickling Yuuri’s skin.

He had a boyfriend. Yuuri was sure of it. Someone like Victor wasn’t just single. Or maybe it was a bet to mess around with the dumb streamer, and he wasn’t even remotely interested. Both of those things made sense, but the intense look in Victor’s eyes had Yuuri enthralled all the same. Yuuri glanced down at Victor’s lips for barely a moment. They were so close, lightly parted and oh, they looked soft. No. He had to control himself. Letting out a shaky breath, Yuuri spoke softly, “If it’s that you’re a professional skater, my chat already gave that one away.”

“Damn, my cover’s been blown.” Victor laughed, “No, I um… I might’ve only done this so that I could get you alone. Or at least, away from an audience.”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow, “Technically, they’re still in my pocket.” He pointed out, pulling his phone from his pocket as if to prove the point.

Victor plucked the phone from Yuuri’s hand, “At least they can’t hear us.” He started typing into the phone and Yuuri could only watch and wait. Victor had control of his life at that moment. He was logged into his stream account. Victor could say whatever he wanted, do whatever he wanted. There was nothing Yuuri could do about it. But then, Yuuri had quickly found himself trusting Victor. A moment of silence passed between them before Victor was pressing the phone back into Yuuri’s hand, “Call me tonight, okay? When you’re not streaming.”

“Why?” Yuuri asked dumbly, staring at the phone number on the screen with ‘Victor’ written above it complete with a little heart by the name. Oh god, he was cute. He was really, really cute.

“Because,” Victor brushed the pad of his thumb against Yuuri’s bottom lip, “I want to know everything about you, Yuuri.”

“Y-You do?”

“Of course.” Victor pulled Yuuri’s hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles, “Thank you for a lovely evening.”

A moment later, Victor was letting go of his hand and skating away, exiting the rink. Yuuri watched in awe. He was beautiful, and sweet, and cute, and he wanted Yuuri to call him. These things didn’t happen to him. It felt like a dream. Staring down at his phone for a moment, Yuuri wanted to memorise the number. He wanted to memorise every little detail about the moment. Instead, he flicked the screen back to his chat, seeing the excited messages from his viewers as they tried to decipher what had been said between them, and if Yuuri had blown his chances with the most successful figure skater of all time.

* * *

 

Yuuri didn’t stay on the ice for much longer once Victor had left. His mind was in a haze and the rink wasn’t helping. Eventually, he left, and the frenzy in his chat calmed down with the help of his moderators silencing those who continued to push the topic. Soon, the evening became what Yuuri had planned for it; an average night out, acting like a tourist in order to show his fans everything that Japan had to offer. It had been a fun stream, but he had more plans for the following day. After all, Yuuri didn’t like taking days off. He didn’t want to risk losing viewers.

But Yuuri had streamed all day, and Yuuri was hyperaware of the number sitting in his phone. He was distracted. The time felt like it went on forever as he went through the rest of his stream, but eventually he was able to say his goodbyes for the night. Yuuri expected to make it back to his parent’s onsen, close the door, and call Victor. Instead, he laid on the bed, staring at the number and wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this. How could he just call Victor? He was too good to be true. There had to be some catch to this. But Victor was the one who gave him the number. Victor told him to call. This was somehow what Victor wanted.

Before he could keep talking himself out of it, Yuuri called the number, holding his phone to his ear and chewing his lip nervously.

“ _Hello?_ ” That Russian accent was a giveaway, and Yuuri felt his heart begin to race.

“Um. Hi. It’s um, it’s Yuuri. You know, from the ice rink…” He really hoped Victor had remembered, or at least had given him the right number, or this could be really awkward.

“ _I was starting to think you weren’t gonna call. You stream a lot later than I expected._ ”

He remembered. That was a good start, at least, “Actually, I finished streaming… two hours ago.”

“ _And you kept me waiting all this time? That’s just cruel, Yuuri._ ”

He couldn’t stop himself smiling. Victor seemed to have that effect on him. Yuuri stared up at the ceiling, “You can’t blame me. I had to work up the courage to call you. You don’t just call a famous athlete, you know?”

Victor’s laughter on the other end of the phone made Yuuri’s heart flip. Such a simple, beautiful sound. Yuuri couldn’t get enough of it, “ _Are you doing anything tomorrow?_ ”

Yuuri frowned, “I kinda… promised I’d take them to try the best takoyaki in town.”

“ _Oh._ ”

He could hear the disappointment in Victor’s voice and instantly regretted it. He wanted to take it back, to tell Victor that he was completely free to do whatever he wanted. Yuuri loved to stream, he loved his viewers, but he wanted desperately to spend a day in Victor’s company. He wanted to get to know Victor, to learn who he was. Yuuri clutched at the only option he could think of, “What about the next day? I could take the day off.”

“ _I’ll be in Honshu for the Grand Prix._ ”

“Oh.” Yuuri could hear the disappointment in Victor’s voice, and he could feel it, too. He wanted to see Victor again. He didn’t want it to be a one-time thing, just a fleeting moment and a lot of questions of what could’ve been, “How about after that?”

Victor laughed, “ _Are you that desperate to see me again?_ ”

“Yes.” Yuuri admitted, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, “You… made quite an impression. I’d hate to think tonight’s the only night I’m ever gonna see you.”

“ _Seeing you after the Grand Prix does sound like a nice reward. Where do you wanna go?_ ”

“Surprise me.” Yuuri hummed softly, “I want to know more about you, so take me somewhere you like.”

“ _Consider it done._ ”

Yuuri spent the evening talking to Victor, afraid to let the call end, afraid he’d wake up and this would all be a beautiful dream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay on this chapter! But it's hear, it's done!

**_kanzaki19:_** _omg it looks so good_  
_**Linisen:** describe taste!_  
 _**nikiforoov:** so jealous_  
 _**clairebear41:** gimme!_

The messages poured over Yuuri’s phone screen. He laughed, shaking his head with a fond smile. Yuuri had gotten to the restaurant just after the lunchtime rush, giving them a nice comfortable experience. He was sat at his own table, the camera placed on the opposite side as he ate his meal. The best takoyaki in town, that’s what the place was known for. Yuuri had visited before, but it had been so long, he could barely remember how good it was. When he’d placed the camera on the table across from him, his chat had filled with jokes about how this was obviously a date, and how rude it was that Yuuri hadn’t bothered to order any food for them. Yuuri really loved his viewers.

Taking a bite of the food, Yuuri was immediately reminded that he was home. No where else in the world could you find takoyaki so well made, so authentic. They had a lot of great food back in America, but nothing compared to what they made in Japan, at least for Yuuri. The takoyaki wasn’t on the same level as his family’s katsudon, but it was enough to remind him of all the beauty of his home country.

Yuuri hummed happily as he ate the takoyaki, reading the messages appearing on his screen, “It tastes like takoyaki, I don’t know how to describe it.” He laughed, picking up another piece with his chopsticks, ready for another bite of what he had to admit was a lot like heaven.

“Let me help.” Yuuri froze as he heard that voice. That familiar voice. That voice that he’d spent the better half of the previous evening talking to, learning about, memorising. Yuuri looked over just in time to see Victor leaning down and eating the piece straight from Yuuri’s chopsticks. His eyes lit up as he dropped into the chair beside him, “Wow, amazing!”

“Victor?” He watched in awe as Victor started talking enthusiastically about the taste, how sweet and soft the dumpling was. Yuuri could imagine something else sweet and soft. Something else that probably tasted ‘wow amazing’. There was a little sauce from the takoyaki on Victor’s lip. Yuuri wanted to kiss it, to lick that little drip from Victor’s skin and find out if that made it taste any better, to hear the surprised gasp from Victor. Yuuri couldn’t stop staring at Victor’s lips as he spoke, explaining the slightly chewy stuffing of the takoyaki. Victor was dangerous to have around. He was far too enticing. Yuuri cleared his throat, trying to compose himself, “What… what’re you doing here?”

Victor grinned, heart shape smile beaming at him, “I heard this place has the best takoyaki in town. I wanted to try it!”

Yuuri frowned, “You searched out this place just because I told you I was going to be here?”

Victor feigned shock, “Yuuri! You think I went to all this trouble just to see you again?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.” Victor chuckled, moving closer until their shoulders were brushing, “But it sounds really desperate when you say it like that.”

Victor still hadn’t wiped that sauce from his bottom lip, and Yuuri was starting to wonder if he knew it was there and had left it just to tease him. Victor already had tempting lips without the thought of the best takoyaki in town. He could lean in close and taste it for himself. It was only fair. Technically, that was his. Victor had stolen it right from under his nose.

Yuuri couldn’t help himself, reaching out and brushing his thumb along Victor’s lip, wiping away the sauce that had been left behind. His fingers lingered, palm rested against Victor’s chin as he stared into his eyes. Victor was beautiful. Really, truly beautiful. And it wasn’t just his good looks. He was a sweet, funny, kind person, too. Yuuri had never been so smitten in his life. The corner of Victor’s lips curved into a minute smile, and Yuuri quickly felt that need to taste Victor’s lips growing. They were so close. It wouldn’t take much. Just a simple tilt of Yuuri’s head, and their lips would meet.

A sound chimed from Yuuri’s phone, snapping him from his thoughts and causing him to jolt away from Victor as if he’d been burned. He looked down at the screen in time to see a new subscriber along with a flooding of messages screaming excitedly for the new development between them. Right. Yuuri had actually forgotten about the camera, had forgotten that all of that was being streamed to thousands of people around the world.

“One second, guys.” Yuuri’s voice cracked as he pressed the button on his phone that sent the stream to a ‘be right back’ screen. A moment of privacy, a moment to ask Victor what the hell was going on. That’s all he needed. Turning back to Victor, Yuuri let out a breath, “Explain.”

“I just… wanted to see you again.” Victor’s smile was shy, a slight blush painting along his pale skin. Yuuri’s heart wasn’t going to be able to take this much Victor, that much was obvious. Victor looked away, his eyes fixed on Yuuri’s hand as he hesitantly moved to take it, reluctantly stopping himself, “My coach wanted me to head to Honshu today, but I wanted to see you before my skate tomorrow.”

“What? Why?” Yuuri frowned, placing his chopsticks on the table and reaching out to brush his hand along Victor’s back. It didn’t make sense. Victor was the greatest figure skater of all time. There was no reason for him to risk such an important title. Seeing him wasn’t a good enough reason, certainly. So, why was Victor still there?

“Yuuri, I win every time. And it’s not that I don’t try, I work so hard for every medal I’ve gotten, but at some point, you have to ask yourself what you’re skating for.” Victor shrugged, “Looking into your eyes, seeing your smile… I feel like I have a new reason. So, I had to see you just one more time before I get on the ice.”

It wasn’t the first time Victor had left him speechless. Yuuri felt so completely ordinary next to Victor. He wasn’t particularly talented. His talents were in gaming, in entertaining people by playing a game dozens of other streamers were playing at the same time, finding a way to be the one that people chose to watch among all the others. He was nothing special. Victor was talented beyond measure. His history of gold medals was proof of that.

“Victor…”

Before Yuuri could find the words, another notification went off on his phone. The viewers may not have been able to see or hear what they were saying, but they were still in a frenzy, trying to figure it out. A donation had come in from kanzaki19 saying simply, ‘ _kiss him_ ’. Yuuri blushed, pushing his phone away, but it was too late. Victor had already seen it, a bright smile playing on his lips.

“Now, there’s an idea.”

“No.” Yuuri chuckled, though part of him really wished he hadn’t rejected the thought, because those lips had been tempting since the moment Victor had sat down beside him, “You have to earn that.”

“Saving you on the ice last night wasn’t worth a kiss?” Victor pouted, and Yuuri nearly caved. Nearly.

“That was easy for you.” Yuuri pouted out, pressing a finger to the tip of Victor’s nose, “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

“Alright, I’ll win gold.” Yuuri raised an eyebrow as he took in Victor’s words. That was unexpected. He brushed a thumb along Yuuri’s cheek, and soon Yuuri found his eyes fluttering closed as he let himself enjoy the delicate touch, leaning into Victor’s warmth, “If I win, you owe me a kiss. Deal?”

“Okay.” Yuuri breathed the word before he could think better of it. Because he really wanted that kiss. He wanted it just as much as Victor did. He wanted Victor to win, too. He wanted Victor to be reminded that he was an incredible athlete. Giving Victor a reason to give it his all seemed like a good idea.

“In that case, I should go. I wanna get some last-minute practice in.” Victor took Yuuri’s hand, threading their fingers together, “You’ll be watching, right?”

“I promise.” Yuuri had never seen Victor skate, but he wanted to. He wanted to see what Victor looked like when he was giving it his all, when his whole heart and soul was given over to his performance. Yuuri wanted to know what Victor was truly capable of. It wasn’t even a question for him. Yuuri had already been tempted to watch Victor skate. This simply gave him even more reason.

“Goodbye for now, Yuuri.” Victor leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek before he was letting go, leaving Yuuri alone in the restaurant once more.

Yuuri brushed his hand against his cheek, still feeling the ghost of Victor’s lips, still imagining the gentle kiss. He’d really agreed to this. He’d agreed to kiss Victor if he won gold. The skater who had won gold five times before this. It was a safe bet to make. His mind was still reeling, heart pounding in his chest as he reached for his phone, switching back and allowing his audience to watch him once more. He had a stream to host.

* * *

 

After the stream, Yuuri had spent most of his time talking to Victor. He had wanted to keep him entertained on his trip to Honshu, knowing exactly how long and boring the trip was going to be. So many questions were asked between them, trying to learn every little detail about each other. Yuuri had told Victor all about how he got into streaming, about moving to America for college and streaming in his free time to keep himself busy, and how one day his hobby turned into his job. Victor had told him all about skating as a child, about the constant training, the choreography, the injuries, and the victories.

Yuuri had known Victor Nikiforov for three days, and was already falling hard. He felt like he’d known Victor for a lifetime. Every conversation flowed so easily. It wasn’t difficult. It just felt right, natural. Yuuri wanted to spend more time in Victor’s presence, to be near him, to see his smile.

When the time came to watch Victor perform, Yuuri was ready, his laptop sat in front of him on his bed as he stared in awe at each skater. They were all incredible in their own ways. Some were stronger at steps than jumps, some had fallen and reminded Yuuri of his own falls on the ice. Yuuri barely understood the scoring. He barely understood what made an axel different from a toe loop. But he enjoyed watching the skating all the same. He enjoyed the performances, and how they seemed to transport the audience to another world. Victor had a lot of competition.

When Victor was finally stepping onto the ice, Yuuri’s heart began to race. He was nervous. There was something on the line for him here, too. A kiss. A simple little thing, but Yuuri really wanted it. He really wanted Victor to win gold so that he could wrap his arms around him and taste those tempting lips once and for all. Maybe if Victor lost, Yuuri could kiss him anyway. A consolation prize for second place. Or third. Or fourth. Or whatever placement Victor ended up in. But Yuuri liked the idea of Victor appearing in his life all over again, this time with a gold medal around his neck.

The moment Victor started moving along the ice, Yuuri’s nerves seemed to fade away. Victor didn’t move to the music. The music seemed to move with him, to follow Victor’s lead around the ice, and to only change its pace as Victor commanded. Yuuri couldn’t look away for a second, transfixed on the image of a stunning man moving around the rink like he owned it, like this was his domain and he had merely been allowing everyone else their own time in his kingdom. No wonder Victor always won gold. He was so beautiful, so incredible on the ice. And this was just on a computer screen, a screen with lacklustre camera angles, and a commentator who kept talking over the music. Yuuri wished he was there, wished he could truly enjoy this performance for what it was.

But it was only the short program. Yuuri wouldn’t know until the next evening if Victor had a new medal to add to his collection.

* * *

 

It was another two days before Yuuri heard a knock at the door of his room in the onsen in the middle of the evening. Yuuri only had a few days left in Japan before he was heading back to America. Only a few more days to experience home. He was going to miss it, but he knew he couldn’t stay there. He had everything set up back in America, and though Yuuri knew one day, he would end up moving, he knew that it would mean days without streaming in order to get himself set up all over again. Yuuri wasn’t willing to do something like that until he had a place all of his own, until he was certain he wouldn’t find himself moving all over again.

As he opened the door, he was met with the welcome sight of Victor, silver hair falling into blue eyes, the barely there hint of a smile. Ever since his performances, Yuuri had been hearing about how disappointed Victor was. He had over rotated one of his jumps. Yuuri didn’t even notice when he was watching, but it was enough to get him a small deduction. His performance hadn’t been perfect, and Victor was still thinking about it, still upset that he let himself make a mistake.

“Hey.” Yuuri smiled fondly. He’d heard nothing but the frustrations of a perfectionist who had made a mistake over the last twenty four hours, and he wanted desperately for Victor to forget about his mistakes. “Long time no see.”

Victor stuffed his hands into his pockets, tilting his head to the side as he looked Yuuri over, “I missed you. I was thinking about you the whole time, you know? Even on the ice.”

The simple statement was all that was needed for a blush to rise on Yuuri’s cheeks, looking away, “You looked so beautiful out there. It was incredible.”

“I could do better.” Victor admitted, “I’m sorry you didn’t get to see me at my best.”

Yuuri couldn’t quite imagine how amazing it would be to see Victor perfect a skate. He was already so beautiful on the ice. Yuuri hadn’t even noticed his mistake during the performance. The only reason he knew at all was the deduction on his score, or because it seemed to be eating Victor up inside.

Yuuri leaned against the doorframe watching Victor carefully as he spoke, “Can I see it?”

Victor’s smile grew, hooking his thumb around a strap at his neck and pulling the medal from beneath his shirt, “You mean this?”

It glimmered in the light, a pretty disc of gold signifying Victor’s success. It wasn’t the grand prix final, he’d insisted. It was just a qualifier. But Yuuri didn’t care. Even with a mistake, Victor had come out on top, and he deserved it. He had everyone mesmerised when he was on the ice. Victor was going to win gold at the finals. If there was one thing in the world that made sense to Yuuri, it was that. But as he stared at that medal around Victor’s neck, he was reminded of a promise he’d made, one that he’d been so desperate to fulfil.

Yuuri reached out, brushing his fingers along the medal and humming appreciatively, “Congratulations.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Victor chuckled.

It wasn’t. There were a million things Yuuri wanted to say, a million things he wanted to do. Because the truth was, the last week of knowing Victor had been incredible. Victor had walked into his life and made it so much better. The phone calls were a dream, learning about Victor, hearing him laugh, laughing with him. Yuuri longed for the moments they would get to be together. He’d never fallen so hard and fast for someone before, but Victor made sense. Everything about him made sense. And Yuuri didn’t want to let go of this feeling.

Carefully, Yuuri hooked a finger around the strap of the medal, tugging Victor closer and letting their lips crash together. He’d been dreaming about it, been so consumed by the thought of kissing Victor, of knowing the taste of those lips. Victor’s lips were just as soft as they looked, Yuuri wrapping his arms around his neck as he pulled him into the room. Victor’s lips felt like home, like happiness. The kiss sent a warm feeling through Yuuri, a wonderful feeling. Yuuri lingered on those lips, not wanting to pull away, not wanting to break the magic of that moment. He could feel Victor’s hands against his hips, his own fingers brushing against the hair at the nape of Victor’s neck.

“I think you earned that.” Yuuri whispered against Victor’s lips as he reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. He was already drunk on Victor, drunk on the closeness of the moment.

“Can I have another?” Victor smirked, his hand moving up Yuuri’s back, pressing their bodies flush against each other.

He should’ve said no. He should’ve told Victor that he had to earn another kiss, but Yuuri was so through with playing games. He wanted Victor, wanted the closeness. Yuuri didn’t say anything, fingers tangling in soft silver hair as he sought out the warmth of Victor’s mouth. The kiss was more passionate this time, more desperate and needy, because Yuuri wanted more of him, wanted to know what this could mean for them. Their lives didn’t blend well. Yuuri knew that much. Victor travelled a lot for competitions. Yuuri tried to stay in one place as much as he possibly could. They weren’t a match when it came to their daily lives, but Yuuri didn’t care. He wanted Victor, needed him. The moment they met on that ice, Yuuri had been shown something he didn’t know he could have. Now that he had Victor, he wasn’t willing to let go.

Yuuri dragged Victor further into the room, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he pulled Victor down to sit beside him on the bed. This wasn’t what he had planned for his little trip home. Just some tourist stuff, spending time with his family. That’s all he could hope for. Not this. Never this.

Resting their heads together, Yuuri took a shaky breath, “We can do this, right?”

“Calls every day.” Victor reassured, the pad of his thumb brushing along Yuuri’s cheek as he spoke, “I’ll visit you on the off seasons. Or you can visit me. If it works out, you could come stay with me in Russia, set up your cameras and do your thing from there.”

“We’ve known each other a week and you’re thinking about moving in together?” Yuuri teased, though the thought of it was thrilling, the idea of living with Victor, and the knowledge that Victor was already considering it.

“I like having you around.” Victor peppered kisses along Yuuri’s neck, “Waking up next to you every day sounds like heaven.”

Yuuri’s heart fluttered, pulling Victor into his arms as he laid back on the bed, enjoying the closeness of the moment. They were doing this. The distance wouldn’t matter. Yuuri was willing to deal with it if this was what he got to come home to. Yuuri bit his lip, focusing on the feeling of Victor’s lips on his skin, setting fires beneath the surface. His fingers slipped under Victor’s shirt, feeling every curve of his body. Yuuri wanted to remember, knowing that soon he’d be back in America, soon he wouldn’t have this anymore. Soon, their relationship would be built on phone calls and hope, hope that they’d see each other again. Yuuri wanted to take Victor up on that Russia idea right then and there.

No, he’d wait. Another month. Maybe two. They were moving things so quickly, Yuuri wasn’t sure he wanted to risk ruining this. But he wasn’t sure he could last long without Victor at his side either. If meeting Victor had taught him anything, it was to throw caution to the wind and to live in the moment. So, that was exactly what he was going to do.

Victor moved to take the medal from around his neck, and Yuuri quickly stopped him, lips seeking out the warmth of Victor’s once more as he spoke, “Leave it on…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I thinking about writing a smutty side fic for these two? Possibly. Let me know if you're interested and I might cave.


End file.
